Your email is one of the most important accounts you have on the internet. If somebody gets access to your email, they can reset the passwords to nearly every social media account you have as most ‘password reset’ options do it by sending a password reset link to your email. That is precisely why email security should not be overlooked when discussing online safety.
How do I improve my email security?
For your convenience, we have created a small list of the best email security practices so that you can be assured that no one with malicious intent gets access to your email accounts.
- Use strong, unique passwords
You have surely heard it before: have a password that is minimum 8 characters long, including numbers, uppercase & lowercase letters and special characters. However, that’s not all. You should make sure that the password does not contain any actual words to prevent a dictionary attack.
- Use two-factor authentication when available
Most email services offer you the chance to use 2-factor authentication and we highly recommend you use it whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security atop your password. If someone tried to get access to your email, not they will also have to acquire your mobile device in order to succeed.
- Avoid clicking links within emails
Phishing attacks are a very common method that hackers use to collect your login credential to sensitive accounts. Do not follow links in emails that came from untrustworthy sources.
- Scan attachments before opening
It is a good practice to scan unexpected email attachments for malware. This is one often used method to spread malware.
- Use a VPN when accessing emails from public WiFi
We generally recommend using a VPN whenever accessing any public WiFi, however, more so when accessing emails. There are still email services out there that use outdated protocols with either sub-par encryption or no encryption at all. If you want to keep the content of your emails private, using a VPN should be second-nature when connecting to open WiFi hotspots.
Do you value your privacy online?
Use VPN Surf and surf safely and securely in the open waters of the internet.
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